the
Jane Goodall Institute's Chimp Work - Rescue and Reintroduction
Rescue
JGI affiliated sanctuaries are committed to effectively addressing
the root issues that threaten the survival of great apes in the
wild. JGI also recognizes the immediate need to protect the victims
of the illegal bushmeat
trade – orphaned chimpanzees who are typically sold
into the pet trade after watching their mothers being brutally
killed.
In cooperation with African governments, JGI is ensuring that
illegally held chimpanzees are confiscated from poachers or market
vendors and placed in sanctuaries
across Africa. Most of the governments within host countries of
chimpanzees have made it illegal to take endangered species from
the wild. To ensure that facilities exist, JGI has created three
sanctuaries in Africa (Congo
and Uganda)
housing more than 200 orphaned chimpanzees in total. JGI sanctuaries
provide a safe refuge where chimpanzees can be cared for and given
the chance to live reasonably full lives in spacious conditions.
It is an important policy of the Jane Goodall Institute that
sanctuaries should not only serve the needs of the chimpanzees
who live there, but that they meet other objectives as well;
- To bring tangible benefits to the local communities, by employing
local staff and buying all fruits and vegetables to feed the
chimpanzees from the local markets.
- To become centers for educating
and engaging youth and communities in their environment.
- To work for the preservation
of primate habitat and the protection of remaining chimpanzee
populations and other threatened species in the wild.
Our Tchimpounga
Sanctuary in Congo s an important center for
JGI’s larger Community-Centered
Conservation initiatives for the surrounding villages.
JGI's sanctuaries have joined with 16 other African Sanctuaries
through the Pan-African
Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). PASA was founded at a workshop
organized in 2000 by JGI-Uganda and the Conservation Breeding
Specialist Group (CBSG) in Entebbe. Since then, annual meetings
have been held where PASA members focus on the key issues facing
sanctuaries – education, conservation, reintroduction, veterinary
care and breeding. This alliance is working toward addressing
the needs of current sanctuaries and promoting educational initiatives
within communities to reduce harmful environmental and hunting
practices.
Reintroduction
Given the threat of great ape extinction, the release of captive
animals into their natural habitat is increasingly being perceived
as valuable conservation tool. Reintroduction is both a complex
and controversial endeavor, especially when the potential risks
are high - as in the case of great apes. Guidelines for such programs
have been outlined by the Reintroduction Specialist Group of the
World Conservation Union’s Species Survival Commission.
The conservation, health, and genetic status of the candidates
for release, the ecology and behavior of wild conspecifics as
well as the biological, social, economic and political context
of the potential release site must all be taken into account in
the planning and execution of any reintroduction project. Ultimately,
release programs must make a positive contribution to the survival
of the species in the wild.
Numerous chimpanzee host countries are currently under pressure
due to the massive influx of young orphans who have been captured
illegally from the wild. Although sanctuaries are a good ‘band
aid’ solution in the short term, they cannot provide the
needed conditions for the orphans to express their whole range
of natural behaviors. While in sanctuary, the orphans often become
highly dependant on humans for food and protection making future
reintroduction programs impossible.
It is has been argued that if the root causes of the threats
to the species’ survival are addressed at the same time
as the welfare of the confiscated orphans, release projects can
be highly successful. Reintroduction programs can benefit not
only the animals that were released but also the release area,
through effective protection from poaching and deforestation and
can even help the local community tha relies on the natural resources
for their livelihood.
The goal of JGI’s reintroduction research program is to
conduct preliminary studies on the feasibility of such a project
within Congo
and Uganda
where we currently have sanctuaries
housing over 150 chimpanzees. The establishment of the appropriate
facilities (pre-release environment) where new arrivals to our
sanctuaries will be able to learn how to forage for natural vegetation,
build nests, and develop the social bonds necessary for their
survival in the wild is an important first step in the development
of a release program.
A suitable release site must provide sufficient resources for
the chimpanzees and permit no adverse effects on the species already
present. The release site must also offer reliable protection
from threats such as hunting and logging and must not expose the
released chimpanzees to conflict with the local community. Potential
risks to the wild chimpanzee population, local community, and
released individuals will be examined by JGI within the biological
and socio-economic framework of the chosen release sites.
A reintroduction program by JGI would be based on the experiences
and lessons learned from previous chimpanzee release projects
such as H.E.L.P.— Congo’s chimpanzee reintroduction
initiatives in the Conkouati Reserve— and would adhere to
the IUCN/SSC guidelines for primate reintroduction.
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